Ethan turns 3 / Violet's on the move / July 4th

It's mid-July, and Summer is in full swing. The days are getting hotter, and everyone is trying to beat the heat any way they can. Ethan has a much higher tolerance for the hot weather, and doesn't mind playing outside for hours, no matter how hot it is.  Violet seems to be able to last much less time in the heat than her brother, and she really hates getting in the hot carseat. Mommy and Daddy have to remember to pre-cool the cars before going anywhere with the kids now that it's 90+ degrees every day.

The Summer has brought our family some really wonderful milestones. First of all, Ethan turned 3, and isn't shy to tell you how old he is if you ask him (how old are you Ethan......he says... FWEEE!). We celebrated his birthday with a construction themed birthday party at the house. All of Ethans friends came over, and had a great time playing in the swimming pools and wearing their construction helmets, while the adults enjoyed barbecue and air conditioning. Grammy Litsch came down to visit, and she was glued to Violet the whole trip. We had a truck shaped pinata, trucks on his birthday cake, and a whole bunch of trucks as presents, so Ethan was one happy camper.

Violet wasn't without her milestones as well. On July 2, we left for New Jersey with an immobile baby, and we returned July 5 with a professional crawling machine. She learned how to crawl, and now you can't stop her! All she wants to do is to crawl and get into anything and everything. We love to watch her crawl across the room to get a toy, then slide back into sitting position to enjoy her prize. In the recent days, she has even pulled herself up on her baby gate to standing position! We are so close to having a walking Violet, and at this pace, it's not too far off!

This year, we took a family trip to New Jersey to celebrate the 4th of July holiday. Our trip was pushed back a day due to the fact that both kids had very high fevers, but we finally made it there. We celebrated Ethan's birthday again at  Grammy and Poppy's house, and Ethan got another cake, and some really cool presents. The best present was the fact that we got to see the whole Jersey family. We got to visit Aunt Nancy's house, where we hung out with Grandpa and his side of the family. We also got to spend some time over Grandpa's house, where Ethan loves to play with (and sometimes break) Grandpa's trucks, and Violet was crawling everywhere, with Grandpa crawling right behind her. We stayed at Grammy and Poppy's house, and Ethan and Violet loved spending time with them, as well as Uncle Keith and cousins Krista, Jenna, and Ciara. Grammy swam in the pool with the kids, and Poppy took Ethan out for a boat ride, where he repeatedly asked to go faster. Violet loved hangin out on the deck, mastering her crawling skills. On the Fourth, Daddy and Uncle Keith provided everyone with a fireworks show across the street from Grammy's house. Everyone enjoyed watching the fireworks, except for Violet, who was fast asleep. We had to leave after only a few days, but we really enjoyed our time. Hopefully we can get back up there this Summer!